Hyderabad: Work pertaining to the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) in Andhra Pradesh will commence by December last week and the tender process is expected to be completed by last week of September. Andhra Pradesh and Orissa are the two states that have been chosen for the first phase of the World Bankassisted programme, which is a part of the national disaster management. In the state, the project will be implemented with an outlay of Rs 758 crore, of which 25 percent will be borne by the state government. The project cost for the first phase is Rs 1496.71 crore and it will be increased as the project progresses.
Speaking to mediapersons, National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA) member VK Duggal expressed his satisfaction over the progress of work so far. “There were some technical problems like e-procurement and tendering process, which are being sorted out. There is need to speed up the work, which is being done,” he said.
According to VK Duggal, east coast of the country is more vulnerable to cyclones than west coast and among the states of east coast, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa had borne the brunt of cyclone fury in the past several decades. He said that in last 100 years, there were 103 cyclones in the state, which is why it has been chosen for the initial implementation of the national project. “The project has to be completed by 2015 and several systems are being put in place to ensure that interdepartmental cooperation is there during the crisis period,” he said.
Considering the importance of rescue and relief operations during natural or man made disasters, the strength of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is being raised from the 10 battalions to 12 in the country.
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